


For a long time

by strikedawn



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, also I said episode 3 would make me drown in natsunao feelios and here I am, implied sourin, or future sourin I guess?, post s3 ep3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 04:53:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15453759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikedawn/pseuds/strikedawn
Summary: Nao sighed. “Did you just wake up and decide that today was a good day to
    finally come back home?”“I was racing a guy, actually. Long story, but it started raining, and we
    had to stop the race, but by the time he invited me to his apartment I had
    already decided to come see— to come home.”“…I don’t even know what to say to that.”





	For a long time

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. These two make me feel so cheesy and so warm inside, I love them. I will not apologize for the extreme fluffiness in this fic.
> 
> I'm really enjoying writing these two, it makes me so happy!
> 
> Happy reading!

The journey back to home was— strange.

It even started strangely. Rin was sweet enough to accompany him to the airport, but like a good competitive swimmer, he wasn’t willing to miss practice. So Natsuya found himself with his new friend, at the airport, six hours before his flight. It didn’t matter much to Natsuya, though. Traveling the world meant he was pretty used to airports, almost as if they were a second home to him.

And Sydney airport wasn’t exactly the worst airport in the world, to be honest.

“…Are you sure this is what you want?” Rin asked softly, his eyes set on Natsuya. Natsuya could feel his burning stare on the side of his head, but he didn’t look back; his own eyes were fixed on the departures’ panel, waiting eagerly for his flight to Tokyo to show up. “I… got the impression you’re not one to give up easily.”

Natsuya snorted. His fingers drummed excitedly on the strap of his bag as he looked up. “No kidding. But this isn’t giving up. It’s—realization.”

Rin stayed silent for a moment. Then, when he spoke, his voice sounded even softer, as if he was forcing the words out of his mouth against his will. “This person you want to swim again with—”

“Nao,” Natsuya said, and just saying the name out loud sent a wave of excitement and longing through his body. “His name is Nao.”

“…What is he to you?”

Rin’s tone of voice made Natsuya finally look away from the panel, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Rin. But there was no need for glares; Rin seemed nervous, as if he already regretted having opened his mouth. He was scratching his head under the rim of his cap. This time, it was him who didn’t look back at Natsuya.

There was a second of silence, and then Natsuya’s expression became sweeter, just a bit tad softer. In a far-off, strange way, Rin reminded Natsuya of Ikuya. “Doing some introspection, Matsuoka?” Natsuya said, unable to keep the teasing from his voice.

Rin clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes still without looking at Natsuya. But then his shoulders dropped, and the frown under Rin’s cap disappeared. He looked smaller under his sports jacket, his hands deep in his pockets. “I…I miss my friends,” Rin started, changing his weight from one foot to the other. “All of them. But Sousuke— I try not to think about him much, because every time I do it, it _hurts.”_

_Ah,_ Natsuya thought, smiling a bit. Maybe it wasn’t Ikuya Rin reminded him of; maybe it was himself. “But you still want to swim with him, don’t you? Despite how much it hurts?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Rin replied, snapping his eyes back to Natsuya. There were fire and determination in them, and Natsuya grinned.

“Then use that pain to push you forward,” Natsuya stepped closer, only enough to let his big hand drop on Rin’s shoulder, over the jacket. He squeezed it, maybe a bit too hard, and then made Rin shake from the contact as if to give more weight to his words. “And when the pain gets to be too much—go back home. There is nothing wrong with admitting to need someone important.”

The words, rough but true, were as much for Rin as they were for Natsuya himself.

By the way he was looking at Natsuya, Rin had realized that as well.

“…I hope you get to swim with Nao-san soon.” Rin said, and Natsuya saw all the honesty his words carried in his eyes.

“Me too,” Natsuya grinned again, finally letting go of Rin to turn around, towards the departures’ panel once again. “You should go back to training, though. If I ever want Mikhail to coach me, I know he won’t appreciate me keeping you way from the pool.”

Rin laughed lowly, but agreed just the same. He pushed the strap of his bag higher up his shoulder, nodding at the side of Natsuya’s head with a smile. “Have a good flight, Natsuya-san.”

“Of course!” Natsuya only turned to wink at Rin for a moment before striding away and forward, heart beating fast in his chest as he got closer to the security check. “I’m going back home, after all.”

 

* * *

 

But home, it turned out, had moved away without telling Natsuya a thing.

“…Haruka!?” Natsuya couldn’t help but shout as he registered the sharp face and striking blue eyes in front of him, blinking rapidly as if that would make them go away.

Haru seemed to have had the same idea, for he kept blinking up at Natsuya with confusion, the frown between his eyebrows deepening as the seconds went by. “…Natsuya-senpai?” He said finally. For some reason, his frown didn’t leave when he finally realized who was at his door.

Natsuya spluttered. “W-what at you doing at Nao’s apartment!?”

Haru squared his shoulders. God, those blue eyes of his could deliver a glare. “This is _my_ apartment.”

Natsuya blinked again. Then he stepped back from the threshold, looked slowly towards his left, then towards his right, and then angled his head to look at the outside part of the door, at the familiar peephole, and at the familiar plaque by the side—

That clearly said _Nanase_ instead of _Serizawa_.

“…What the hell!?” Natsuya exclaimed again. He was in the correct apartment, at the correct building. Then why—? “Since when do you live here?”

“…Since the start of the school year,” Haru said, after a brief hesitation.

“Then, where is Nao!?”

Haruka blinked again. His hand was still gripping the side of the door, as if he had the feeling Natsuya would try to barge in at any moment. Natsuya might as well; he had to find Nao.

“I haven’t seen Nao-senpai since _middle school_ ,” Haruka said, speaking loud and slowly. Natsuya’s eyebrow twitched at the condescendent tone of voice.

But if Nao wasn’t here… If Nao had moved, why hadn’t he told Natsuya?

More importantly, if he had moved, _where the hell was he now?_

“—I gotta go,” Natsuya said suddenly, turning on his heels and marching down the hallway. The sun was setting, and the night was bringing with it a pleasant, chill breeze. Still, Natsuya’s body felt hot, fired up in a way that had little in common with the way he had felt at Sydney Airport, just a few hours earlier. “I swear to God, you try to surprise your best friend _once_ —“

“Natsuya-senpai, what is going on?” Haru shouted at him still from the apartment, probably more confused than Natsuya himself.

But Natsuya didn’t have time to explain. He threw a peace sign over his shoulder as he rounded a corner, and said: “Say hi to Rin from me when you talk to him!”

Haru’s splutter of Rin’s name, turned into a question, wasn’t enough to stop Natsuya.

 

* * *

 

The dialing tone accompanied Natsuya on his way to the station. He didn’t know where Nao was, but he could bet he would have to take a train to get there.

He was about to run down the set of stairs to the nearest station when Nao finally picked up.

“…Natsuya?” Nao’s soft voice asked from the other end of the line, and Natsuya stopped dead in his tracks, one foot hovering over the first step of the stairs. “What—?”

“Where the hell are you!?”

“…What?”

“I went to your apartment and Haruka was there! Living in it! And you’re not!”

“…What!?”

If Natsuya’s ears hadn’t been muffled by the sound of his own blood rushing through his veins, he would have heard Nao starting to lose his everlasting patience. “I said—“

“I know what you said,” Nao stated calmly; Natsuya could imagine him making a gesture with his hand along with the words, clear as day. “Let’s go over this slowly. You’re… In Japan? Right now?”

Natsuya sighed, gripping the phone tightly in his hand. He went down two steps only, and then flopped down to sit on the highest one, feeling the cold of the tiles against his worn-out jeans. “Yeah! I—wanted to surprise you, but imagine _my_ surprise when I found Nanase fucking Haruka living at _your_ apartment.”

“Huh…” Nao said softly, almost pensively. Natsuya drank from the sound of his voice, despite the whirlwind of emotions in his chest. “Haruka from middle school, in my old apartment? What a small world…”

“That’s all you have to say!?” Natsuya kicked the steps below him. People watched him worriedly on their way up and down to the station, but Natsuya paid them no mind. “Nao, why didn’t you tell me you moved!?”

The silence from the other end of the line went on for so long that Natsuya pried the phone away from his ear, if only to make sure the call was still working. But that was exactly when Nao decided to speak again, and at the sound of his tinny, faint voice, Natsuya rushed to press the phone against his ear, eager to listen to Nao’s reply.

It wasn’t what he was expecting.

“—are such a _moron!_ ”

“Hey!”

“You are!” Nao sounded very tired, but also slightly amused. He couldn’t hide the smile from either his voice nor Natsuya. “God, Natsuya— I did tell you I was admitted into the medical program I had been aiming for, didn’t I?”

“…Yeah?” Nao _had_ told him about it. By text, because timezones worked against their favor sometimes, and Natsuya had been asleep at the time, enjoying the chill of nighttime in California. But he had called Nao the moment he had seen the text, because he never thought about those stupid timezones anyway, to shout at him how excited and proud he was. He hadn’t used those words exactly, but his loud voice, and the grin he had sported throughout the whole conversation, had carried the sentiment across.

“…And that I would have to change campus for it?”

“Yeah, yeah, you told me! But you didn’t tell me about—“

“And that the new campus would be _at the other side of town?”_

“Yes, but that’s not—Oh. Oh!”

It downed on Natsuya like a pile of rocks. Like a heavy, crushing pile of rocks that screamed ‘idiot’ every time they fell on his head. Nao had told him about the program. About campus. A campus that would be on the other side of town.

_Of course Nao had to move to attend class._

“…I’m such an idiot,” Natsuya groaned, bumping his head against his knee, his back curving.

Nao laughed without mercy, probably shaking his head at him from the other side of Tokyo. “Yeah, that too.”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Nao,” Natsuya said after a moment, eyes closed tight. It didn’t happen often, but he was feeling a bit like a fool over his reaction at the whole thing. “I knew about the campus thing, of course, I just didn’t stop to think—“

“And when do you?” Nao retorted, but he was still smiling. “It’s alright, Natsuya. At least you called me, instead of screaming my name all over the city.”

Natsuya felt his cheeks redden, warmth under his skin. That was his next course of action, if Nao hadn’t picked up the phone. “Listen, I’m just glad you’re not mad at me, okay?”

The silence was shorter this time, but still heavy. Natsuya, eyes still closed, forehead still against the denim of his pants, focused on the even breathing that came from Nao’s side of the call. “Why would I be mad at you?” Nao wondered softly. There wasn’t a trace of teasing in his voice now.

“…I don’t know. But I’m still glad you’re not.”

Nao hummed, but said nothing. Around Natsuya, the light of the sun was being replaced by the shinning lights of the streets, turning the darkening sky overhead a pale navy blue. He pressed himself closer against the wall, head resting against the station’s railing.

Just listening to Nao breathe was soothing. He could feel the day’s tension and emotions dissolving away with every intake of Nao’s.

“Hey,” Nao started softly, and Natsuya was brought back to a thousand little moments, when Nao would look at him as if he understood Natsuya’s heart completely, and wasn’t faced by the mess that was inside of it. “Come spend the night at my apartment. Because I’m guessing you don’t have somewhere to sleep. Do you?”

A lazy smile curled the corner of Natsuya’s mouth. “Not really… unless I manage to catch a bus back to Iwatobi, I mean.”

Nao sighed. “Did you just wake up and decide that today was a good day to finally come back home?”

“I was racing a guy, actually. Long story, but it started raining, and we had to stop the race, but by the time he invited me to his apartment I had already decided to come see— to come home.”

“…I don’t even know what to say to that.”

That pulled a snort out of Natsuya. “Come on, it wasn’t that wild—“

“Wasn’t it.”

“—Okay, fine, maybe a bit.”

And that was when Nao laughed, sweet and melodic, sounding the same way it did back in high-school, back in middle school. In a world where every day was an adventure for Natsuya, where places and climates and beds changed in the blink of an eye, it was grounding to find something that never did change.

Even if it was something as precious and elusive as Nao’s laughter.

“Just come home, you idiot,” Nao said, and Natsuya finally rose from his seat at the stairs, following Nao’s command without thinking. “I’ll text you the address.”

 

* * *

 

Natsuya was hoping his crazy 24 hours would be done by the time he set foot at Nao’s front door and pressed the doorbell, as if the little chime was enough to push every misfortune away.

When the door opened, he learned hoping was _useless_.

“Not again—“ Natsuya bemoaned, watching the person at the other side of Nao’s door that was definitely _not Nao._

“Uh,” the person, a young man of probably Natsuya’s age, eloquently replied to Natsuya’s pained groans. “Who are you?”

“A very, very tired man,” Natsuya groaned again. He would kill for a beer. Or two. Maybe four. “Do you, _by any chance_ , know of a certain Serizawa—?”

“Natsuya?”

Angels. It was angels saying Natsuya’s name, soft and tender like only one person in the world could ever say it, here to take Natsuya to rest. Natsuya looked over the person’s shoulder— and, sure enough, there was Nao, dressed in pajamas that looked incredibly soft, his glasses sitting askew on the bridge of his nose, as if he had put them on hurriedly.

The sight of him made a spike of adrenaline course through his veins, making his skin tingle. He was staring, he knew.

But he couldn’t take his eyes away.

“…Anyway, I better go,” the guy at the door said, moving past a frozen Natsuya and smiling awkwardly at Nao on his way out. “Thank you for the pepper, Serizawa-kun! And sorry again for bothering you so late.”

“Ah, it was no bother, Katsuki-kun. Good luck with your date.”

As the guy, Katsuki-kun apparently, disappeared down the hall, Natsuya still found himself unable to look away from Nao. He was—the same. Of course he was, because it hadn’t really been that long since their last video-call, or since the last (reluctantly sent) selfie. But because he was the same Nao, with the same downturned eyes of soft green, the same gentle smile and beautiful features—

Because of all that, the moment Nao stood at the very edge of the genkan, barefoot on the step, Natsuya dropped his bag to the floor and rushed forward to hug Nao to his chest.

He hugged Nao so tight bones cracked. Natsuya didn’t know if it was his or Nao’s, but he didn’t care. The step separating the genkan from the rest of the house made Natsuya able to hide his face on Nao’s shoulder without tilting his head down, nose pressed against the clean fabric of his pajama shirt. He smelled of softener and Nao; Nao wasn’t prone to changes, and so he had been using the same gel and shampoo brands for years, making Natsuya recognize the smell anywhere. Nao’s hands moved, one to rest between Natsuya’s shoulders, the other to press against the back of Natsuya’s neck, and it was only then that Natsuya realized just how long it had been since anyone had held him like this.

The last time it had probably been Nao too, strong arms around Natsuya’s equally strong body.

He never wanted to move.

“I see you found the place,” Nao teased lowly, the words brushing against the shell of Natsuya’s ear. “I was starting to worry.”

“I thought I hadn’t, for a moment,” Natsuya admitted, grinning now against Nao’s shoulder. “Glad to see I was wrong.”

When Nao stepped back, Natsuya had no choice but to let him go. His hands lingered on Nao for a moment though, sliding down his shoulders to his elbows, then to his wrists. When he finally let go, he moved his hands to his hips, looking at Nao with a winning smile.

Nao snorted. “Idiot.”

Natsuya’s smile only grew. “Missed you too!”

“Come in,” Nao said, and turned around to walk inside, leaving Natsuya to close the door and grab the pair of slippers Nao had already left there for him. “Are you hungry?”

“Thirsty, actually,” Natsuya admitted, following the sound of Nao’s voice further into the apartment. It wasn’t too big but it was still nice; the entrance gave way to a cozy-looking living room, adjacent to the kitchen. At the other side of the living room, a single door gave way to a hallway, where Natsuya guessed would be Nao’s room and a bathroom. But Nao was in the kitchen so he went there, letting his slippers slide over the floor on his way.

“I knew you would say that,” Nao was saying, voice muffled by the open door of the fridge. He rummaged through it for a second before emerging, closing the door with his hip and handing Natsuya something pleasantly cold. “Here.”

Natsuya looked down at his own hand to find a bottle of beer, his favorite Japanese brand.

“I love you so, so much,” Natsuya declared with a groan, letting himself fall on one of the kitchen chairs as he pressed the bottle against his face. “So much.”

“I would be happy to hear that, if I didn’t know you’re talking to the beer.”

“You know me so well,” Natsuya said, twisting the cap open and quickly putting the bottle against his lips. The familiar bitter taste of the beer exploded in his tongue, and Natsuya moaned as the liquid went down his throat, calming his thirst and calming the heat he felt under his skin since stepping into Nao’s apartment. Half of the bottle was gone by the time he set the bottle down on the table. “Man, so good!”

At the other side of the table, Nao was holding a cup of steaming coffee, blowing into it before taking a sip. The smell was telling enough, but even without it Natsuya knew it was dark coffee, with little to no milk. For someone as sweet as Nao (at certain times), he liked his fair share of bitter things. “If you say so.”

“Wanna try?” Natsuya tilted the butt of his bottle towards Nao, leaning back against his chair. “I think you’d like it.”

“No, thank you,” Nao replied, shrugging—and then moving forward when Natsuya downed the rest of his bottle, throwing his head back until the last drop had fallen onto his tongue. “Hey, hey, easy!”

“But I had missed Japanese beer so much!” Natsuya exclaimed, leaving the bottle on the table with a loud noise. “…Do you have more?”

Nao sighed, shaking his head. Still, he went to the side and, much to Natsuya’s eternal happiness, he produced another bottle from the fridge, cold and bitter and perfect. Natsuya eagerly leaned forward to grab it, letting his fingers move against Nao’s. “Yes!”

“…Please take it easy.”

Natsuya didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he opened the new bottle and drank, this time only to a quarter of the bottle. “This is nothing, Nao!”

“Right. ‘Nothing’ like the time you punched a streetlight after three vodka shots? Or ‘nothing’ like the time you were unconscious at a frat party and your American friends called me in the middle of the night because you still had my contact as your emergency number?”

“Okay, first of all, I wasn’t unconscious, I was _asleep._ Second of all—“ Natsuya delivered his points while stabbing the tabletop with his finger, his eyes fixed on Nao with intensity. “…Curse you and your medical student memory.”

That pulled a giggle out of Nao, one that he tried to hide behind his coffee mug. Natsuya grinned back, proud of his feat. “Just drink moderately. Please.”

Natsuya would like to obey, he really would. But Nao’s pajamas, despite being long-sleeved, allowed Natsuya a glimpse of soft skin at the cuffs, and the base of Nao’s neck there where the shirt opened before the first button—and there at his hips, where the pants hung low enough to flash a sliver of perfect skin and narrow bone.

Natsuya drowned the rest of his beer to get rid of the knot in his throat, pretending not to hear Nao’s groan of frustration.

“So…” Nao started after a beat, leaving a third bottle on the table for Natsuya. He was still drinking from the same cup of coffee. “Care to explain what are you doing here?”

For a moment, Natsuya almost pretended he didn’t understand Nao’s question. That he would be able to get away with a quick “well, I’m here because you texted me your address!” And that would be it. But the beer was making a warm fuzz spread through Natsuya’s mind, and he was surrounded by that familiar scent that was simply Nao’s, and—

And—

“I met a Japanese guy in Sydney. A softie, but he swam like a fucking shark,” Natsuya shook his head at the memory of Rin in the water. “And he—reminded me. He reminded me that there is something important in my life. The reason I swim for.”

“…And what is that?” Nao asked curiously, speaking over the rim of his mug as he took another sip.

His glasses had fallen down almost to the tip of his nose, and Nao pushed them up to keep his eyes on Natsuya, who didn’t look away either. The silence stretched, and Natsuya didn’t look away; so it was the silence in the end that replied to Nao’s question, letting it fall heavy and obvious between them, on the table.

The silence, and Natsuya’s heated stare of course, the way he showed his heart in the vibrant color of his eyes.

Color spread under Nao’s skin as his features morphed into understanding. The faint blush sent Natsuya’s heart into overdrive; the only times he had seen Nao blush at something it had been caused by heat and sun, never by Natsuya himself. So watching it happen, watching the blood spread and bloom like flowers under Nao’s pale skin, made Natsuya feel thirsty in a different kind. It was a thirst that no amount of beer would quench.

Nao cleared his throat softly, turning his back on Natsuya to pour more coffee into a mug that couldn’t be even half empty yet.

Even the top of his ears had gone red. “Who won the race?”

“No one. It started to fucking rain and we had to forfeit. I would have made him bite the fucking dust if only we could have finished, though—“

“And this is how I know you’ve had enough alcohol for the night,” Nao interrupted, walking closer to snatch the bottle out of Natsuya’s hand. Natsuya protested against it, reaching forward to grab the bottle again, but his clumsy fingers only managed to find the sleeve of Nao’s top, and cling to it. “You have the mouth of a sailor when you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk!” Natsuya protested again, rising to his feet—but the movement was sudden, and suddenly all the alcohol he had drunk moved inside of him, making him dizzy. Through the mist, Natsuya was aware of Nao moving forward to stop his swaying. “…Okay maybe just a bit.”

“Honestly,” Nao whispered, shaking his head. The movement made the scent of his shampoo rise and surround Natsuya. “What am I going to do with you…?”

“Not give me more beer,” Natsuya said. Then, as if an afterthought, he added: “Is it a pretty mouth?”

Nao blinked up at him from over the edge of his glasses. “What.”

“My sailor mouth,” Natsuya repeated again, as if that made things easier. His fingers tightened on Nao’s sleeve. “Is it a pretty mouth?”

“Natsuya, that’s not—“

The movement of his arm was sudden, even clumsy, but it got the desired effect. Natsuya moved his arm back, bringing Nao forward until they were chest against chest, Natsuya’s mouth brushing against Nao’s fringe. And, from there, it was very easy to move Nao to the counter, until the small of his back was pressed against it, and the back of his head bumped softly the cupboards overhead. Natsuya felt an excessive wave of guilt at the sound, and moved his free hand to cradle the back of Nao’s head with his palm.

He… was kind of drunk. But not drunk enough to miss the way Nao was looking at him, half amazed, half horrified.

“Natsuya…”

“Is it pretty enough to kiss?” Natsuya interrupted. His heart was beating so fast in his chest, pressed against Nao, that he wondered if his friend could feel it hammering too. “Would you kiss it, Nao?”

Nao stood in Natsuya’s arms, almost frozen, his free hand clinging to the counter behind himself, the other still grasped by Natsuya’s by the sleeve. Natsuya thought he would have liked to have Nao’s inquisitive eyes, have his ability to see through people and read their hearts, the way someone might read a sports magazine. He wanted to know what Nao was thinking, what he was feeling.

He wanted to know that he wasn’t alone in this.

But then Nao lifted his hand to touch Natsuya’s cheek, and Natsuya thought that maybe he didn’t really need those things.

Not if Nao was going to look at him like that.

“…You’re such a lightweight,” Nao whispered fondly into the thin space that separated their mouths, voice soft so as not to break the spell that surrounded them. His thumb pressed a caress against the skin of Natsuya’s cheek.

“’M not drunk,” Natsuya repeated, leaning into Nao’s palm. “…Not enough to forget how bad I want you to kiss me, at least.”

Natsuya felt Nao go tense in his arms, and then relax. It was only for a second, but his smile never left his mouth. It was a gentle smile, not entirely happy but not fake at all. It was almost as if Nao was steeling himself for something with that smile; as if he really wanted something but was holding the words in by smiling.

But then he did relax, and the curl of his mouth went from a smile to a determined line. Nao’s hand moved slightly forward, his fingers brushing against the short hairs at Natsuya’s nape—only to bring Natsuya closer, closer, closer, until the warmth and pressure of Nao’s mouth against his made Natsuya close his eyes in a flutter of lashes, and his legs turned to butter.

It was a slow, tentative kiss. Nao set the pace by keeping Natsuya in check, moving back slightly when Natsuya pressed too hard, capturing Natsuya’s bottom lip between his own when Natsuya let a long, content sigh escape. There was hunger and need in the drag of their skin, but the kiss was so much more than that. This wasn’t a nervous kiss behind the pool noodles in middle school. This wasn’t fluttering hands seeking the warmth of hidden skin on a winter evening. This was a turning point, hungry and desperate.

This was the reason why Natsuya had rushed back to Japan.

But the sounds Nao was making were driving Natsuya crazy. They were soft sounds, just like Nao’s lips, just like Nao’s self. Soft, shivering sounds that sent sparks through Natsuya’s skin and made him kiss back fiercely, hands moving to Nao’s hips to explore. The fabric of Nao’s pajamas was soft, but the skin underneath was softer, warmer. It was uncharted territory for Natsuya, but he was ready, as the kiss deepened and Nao opened his mouth for his tongue, to explore it thoroughly. The hard panes of his abdomen, the dips of his skin against his ribs, the roughness of a nipple—

“Natsuya,” Nao gasped softly, and Natsuya dived forward to swallow that gasp, revering on the feeling of finally, _finally,_ kissing Nao again. “Natsuya, wait.”

Natsuya stopped, hands under Nao’s top still, but not moving. Even if he wanted to continue kissing Nao until the night faded into morning. “Nao…?”

“No,” Nao said. The hand at the back of Natsuya’s neck was scratching the skin there softly, almost soothingly. “Not while you’re drunk, Natsuya. I don’t want this if you’re not going to remember tomorrow.”

“I’m not _that_ drunk, Nao—“ Natsuya repeated for what felt like a thousand times that night, letting his forehead fall onto Nao’s shoulder. So what if the room spun a little for him? Who said it was from the alcohol, and not from Nao’s kiss? From getting to touch his skin with the palms of his hands…?

“…If you still want me by morning,” Nao said then, with that faint blush dusting over his cheeks. “If you still want me by then… I’ll be yours.”

Natsuya’s throat closed off. He moved his head back to look into Nao’s eyes, to find the truth of the statement there. Just a few hours. He had been waiting for years for this, how could he say no to a few hours?

With a slow movement, Natsuya moved his hands away from Nao’s naked sides and lifted them to cradle his jaw, bringing him closer so Natsuya could rest their foreheads together.

“But Nao, don’t you know?” Natsuya whispered into that narrow space, the way Nao had done before. His heartfelt about to explode. “I’ve wanted you for a long time.”

 

* * *

 

Reaching the bed was a feat on itself.

Nao did most of the carrying, but Natsuya congratulated himself on not tripping with his own feet even once. He did cling to Nao though, taking a bit of advantage from the situation to nudge at the space beneath Nao’s jaw with his nose, leaving small kissing against the skin when he thought Nao wouldn’t notice.

Considering the walk to his bedroom was less than half a minute long, there was no way Nao didn’t notice any of them.

“Sleep with me,” Natsuya slurred as Nao’s arm tightened around his waist, ready to probably drop him on the mattress. The world tilted around Natsuya, and suddenly he found himself on something cool and comfortable, his cheek pressed against a familiarly scented pillow. The combination pulled a sigh out of Natsuya, who nosed at the fabric with the same eagerness he had nosed at Nao’s jaw not a second ago.

Above, Nao sighed. “Natsuya, we literally just talked about this—“

“Noooooo. Literally. Sleep with me.”

“…Please remind me again not to buy you beer, no matter how cute you get when I do.”

Natsuya giggled into the pillow, hiding his face beneath his arms. “You think I’m cute.”

“I also think you’re an idiot but I’m pretty sure that’s public knowledge already.”

“I think you’re cute too, y’know.”

Nao sighed, not swayed by Natsuya’s weak flirting. It didn’t hurt Natsuya, though. The sounds Nao had made back in the kitchen were enough of a reply, enough of a giveaway.

Nao thought he was cute.

Nao probably thought more things he would tell him about in the morning.

But first—

Bringing Nao into the bed was relatively easier than it had been with Natsuya. Natsuya’s arms locked around Nao’s waist to bring him down onto his chest, making the mattress complain as it adjusted both of their weights. Nao sent him a glare, but it was hard to see in the darkness of the room. “Was that necessary?”

“Sleep. Sleep is necessary,” Natsuya rolled over so Nao could lay on his side as well, even if he was still held down by Natsuya’s stupidly strong arms. “Let’s sleep, Nao.”

“You’re crushing me.”

“Sorry,” Natsuya said truthfully, and moved his arms back and away. Still, one of his hands lingered, resting in the space between their heads. It was suddenly too heavy to move. “Goodnight, Nao…”

Sleep came hard and fast for Natsuya, lulled in by the stupor of his three beers. But still, Natsuya kept himself awake enough to feel Nao put his hand in his, the back of his hand against the palm of Natsuya’s, fingers curling loosely together.

And, into the darkness of the room, into the warmth of the sheets, Nao whispered soft words that Natsuya was far too long to hear.

 

* * *

 

Sunlight came into the room through uncovered windows, dyeing the inside of Natsuya’s lids a pretty pink.

On a scale from one to ten, his hangover was barely a three, which was a blessing. He could taste beer and sleep at the back of his throat, and his head beat uncomfortably from a mix of alcohol and a too soft pillow, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He would feel better again after a shower and a big breakfast, because, for some reason, he was starving. He would feel better as soon as he moved.

And then he opened his eyes, and all thoughts of moving from that bed dissolved into nothingness.

Nao was still sleeping beside him, breathing deeply and silently, very close to Natsuya. He was on his side there where Natsuya laid on his back, but Nao had taken a hold of Natsuya’s arm, keeping it close enough to himself that Nao was breathing against Natsuya’s open palm, lashes fluttering against the skin of his knuckles with every flutter of his eyelids.

Natsuya’s heart squeezed in his chest as his brain reminded him that the night before had been real. He remembered everything, of course, he hadn’t forgotten a second. He hadn’t forgotten the taste of Nao’s mouth, or the feel of his skin in his hands, or how _familiar_ everything had felt, despite the fact that Natsuya could count the times they had kissed before with two fingers of his hand.

But those had been so different, so—uncertain. So infantile.

And yet last night—

Letting his hand rest on Nao’s side, close to his hip, Natsuya tried to wake Nao up by shaking him lightly. Nao frowned in his sleep, but didn’t stir. He simply moved closer over the pillow, sighing against Natsuya’s palm, as if he was already tired of Natsuya’s antics and was opting to ignore him. But he was still asleep.

Natsuya grinned, heart beating faster and faster.

“Nao,” He whispered, moving closer as well. “Nao, wake up. Come on.”

“Nngh… Natsuya?” Nao spoke without opening his eyes, hiding his face deeper in the pillow. “What time is it…?”

Natsuya turned to look over his own shoulder before replying: “A little before 5am.”

“…Oh, God, why—“

“Because it’s morning, Nao,” Natsuya said, as if that explained everything.

It only made Nao frown harder. He still hadn’t opened his eyes. “So…?”

“It’s morning,” Natsuya went on, and his hand on Nao’s side started to move up and down, there where Nao’s top had moved to expose skin, “It’s morning, and I want you.”

The words reached Nao’s conscience immediately, and he opened his eyes. He was unfocused for a second, his rested eyes trying to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t wearing his glasses. But Natsuya was laying close enough to him for Nao to see his blinding smile, the way his eyes creased at the corners, as if he couldn’t contain his happiness inside of himself. That was how Natsuya felt, at least: overflowed, his heart hammering, his hands itching to bring Nao closer.

He had never been happier to wake up at sunrise.

“Oh,” Nao replied, turning his head a bit towards Natsuya. He wasn’t blushing, but his skin felt hotter where Natsuya touched him, almost feverish. “Good morning, Natsuya.”

Natsuya’s reply was a longing kiss. The angle was all wrong, and the traces of sleep that clung to their mouths weren’t the best, but God, Natsuya never wanted it to stop. Not when Nao made a soft sound and clung back to Natsuya, not when this was the most at home he had felt in—years. Years of traveling the world and winning prize money didn’t compare to this. A bed in a student’s apartment, and his best friend in his arms.

“Let’s go on a date today,” Natsuya said quickly as the kiss came to an end, a while later. “To the pool. We’ll bring food, and sunbathe, and—“ Natsuya had to inhale sharply to prepare himself, feeling excitement already burning in his sluggish body. “And we’ll swim together. All day. Let’s do it, Nao.”

Nao smiled at him. His eyes looked incredibly bright without the glass of his glasses covering them. His hand on Natsuya’s chest was exploring idly, as if Nao didn’t even realize he was doing it. “I can’t, Natsuya,” Nao said, sounding fond and slightly disappointed at the same time. “I have class, you know.”

All the excitement turned to lead in Natsuya’s chest. “Oh. What day is it?”

“Wednesday.”

“Ah. Of course.”

“But…” Nao went on, his hand rising so Nao could trace his thumb over his sternum, and then to the left, over his pectoral. “My alarm won’t go off for another hour,” there was a rustle of sheets, and then Natsuya felt Nao prying his legs apart with one of his own, until his thigh ghosted against the front of Natsuya’s underwear, the touch faint but very real against Natsuya’s suddenly more awake body. “We could… Stay here, until then.”

“Mm,” was all Natsuya could say. He lifted his leg to Nao’s hip, so Nao’s thigh could press more firmly in between his own. The contact sent a shiver through Natsuya’s body, and he felt the need to roll his hips down onto it as a shaky breath left his lips. “We could…”

“It _is_ morning,” Nao said when Natsuya’s voice cut with another sigh. His lips had found the tender skin there where Natsuya’s shoulder met his neck, and their movements made Natsuya moan softly, acutely aware of the pressure of his mouth, and the sting of Nao’s teeth against that point.

“Yeah…” Natsuya’s mind was starting to cloud over with the beginnings of pleasure, that sweet low burning brewing deep in his body. But there was something important he had to say first, something he needed to be _sure_ of— “But Nao…” Natsuya started, even as his own hands wandered over Nao’s body, reaching back to the small of his back and _down_ , past the loose waist of Nao’s pajama bottoms. Nao made an appreciative sound at that, still kissing a pleasantly rough path on Natsuya’s neck. “Nao, I want to swim with you again,” Natsuya said wholeheartedly, moving back to meet Nao’s eyes. “I…I realized that’s what I swim for. Because as long as I keep swimming, I know I’ll meet you in a pool, someday. If you want it, too.”

The words were clumsy, but their meaning was not. It could have been said easily, probably with just three heartfelt words; but if he had, he wouldn’t be Natsuya. Natsuya, who traveled the world to keep on swimming just the way he wanted, wherever he wanted.

Natsuya, who dropped everything to come back home, because he needed to have his most important thing by his side again.

And because those words were for Nao alone, they were understood.

Because they were Nao and Natsuya, the three simple words didn’t need to be said at all.

“Natsuya, don’t you know?” Nao said, and his hand started to travel south, as his mouth reached up to deliver the words against Natsuya’s mouth, where they belonged. “I’ve wanted you for a long time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if you liked it!<3


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